Board of County Commissioners Business Meeting - Regular Meeting

Good morning. I would like to call the September 8th, 2026 business meeting of the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners to order. In attendance today are Acting County Attorney John Christopherson and Cooney Saraceno, Administrator to the Board in the Clerk and Recorder's Office. Also joining us to facilitate remote public participation is Chris Henning. Deputy Director of the Commissioner's Office. Mr. Saraceno, will you please call the roll? But before you do, Commissioner Campbell is here. She's just not here, but she's here.

Commissioner Fields? Present. Commissioner Warren-Milley? Here. Commissioner Baker?

Here.

Commissioner Summing?

Here. And Commissioner Campbell is here. She's just not here right this second. She's here. So, Commissioner Baker, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please? Please stand if you're able and join me. Thank you. Are there any changes to the agenda as presented?

There are no changes this morning.

Wonderful. Then may I have a motion to adopt the agenda? Yes, Commissioner Warren-Gulley. To adopt the agenda as presented. Thank you. It has been moved and properly seconded to adopt the agenda as presented. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it and the motion is adopted. I told you Commissioner Campbell was here. Next is our public comment period. You're invited to speak to the commissioners about any topic that's not on the agenda for general business. For those on the line who'd like to get in the queue to speak, please press star three at this time. And as a reminder, only press star three once to get in the queue. If you press it multiple times, it will remove you from the queue. Those in the room wishing to speak should approach the podium when your name is called. And while the board does not respond to individual comments during the section of our agenda, please note that we do listen to these concerns and we take note of the issues for resolution and follow up as appropriate. So let's get started. Jamie West.

Good morning, county commissioners. My name is Jamie West. I've lived at 15803 East Crestwood Circle and Centennial for 37 years. I've been a precinct leader for the last five years and have been familiar with my precincts voter database. I want to bring to your attention another example of voter role mismanagement. and or corruption in our voter database here in Arapahoe County. I have a neighbor in my precinct who lives a block from my home and was found to have duplicate voter IDs. Her name is Mesquil Marie Schoenboom. Ms. Schoenboom is documented on the voter database as voting on 11-5-2024 in both Arapahoe County and Prowers County with two different voter IDs. When I saw this duplicate vote by the same person listed in two different counties in my own precinct I was quite concerned and decided to speak to my neighbor about this duplicate vote. I was able to speak with the registrant's mother. Registrant and registrants mother had never lived in or heard of Brock Prowers County I've given you a copy of unite for freedom Colorado 2024 general elections scoreboard unite for freedom is a nonpartisan but volunteer civic organizational committed to restoring the fundamental rights of of every American citizen to legitimate representative government through legally valid elections. Unite for Freedom has studied federal elections in 35 states. I've been a volunteer with the Unite for Freedom for the past four years. Unite for Freedom's Colorado team found 14,848 illegal duplicate voters on the voter rolls in Colorado and specifically found 1,578 illegal duplicate voters in Arapahoe County for the 2024 election that you can see on the scorecard that I've given you. All information above was extracted from the Colorado Secretary of State data files. As a concerned citizen with no faith in the current election system here in Colorado, I would like to see our voter rolls maintained and managed by our Arapahoe County clerk and recorder at the precinct level. Currently, our voter database is controlled at the state level. Another way we could return transparency and fairness to our elections is to return to in-person voting with ID and hand counting of ballots by the citizens on election night at the precinct level. Absentee ballots would be provided for our military, temporary, overseas citizens, and those with disabilities. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. Linda Curry.

Good morning. My name is Lindy Curry and I reside in Inglewood, Colorado and have been a precinct leader for two and a half years. This is part two of my presentation last month. Upon becoming familiar with my precinct, I have discovered many people on my voter rolls two months before each election with either inactive, undeliberal, or national change of address. And some have been dead for years. Family members have reported and sent in death certificates each time they receive ballots for them. But two months after the election, all those people are taken off. Why were they put on each election and taken off after each election? every precinct leader i have spoken to about more than twenty have found the same pattern in their precincts some precinct leaders have found people who admit to not being citizens and are proud to have voted we have discovered some voters quote-unquote are on lists in multiple precincts or multiple counties or multiple states It is my understanding that we can't prove that they actually voted without paying $200 each county. But the proof is that many people have reported they are still receiving ballots before election day of up to seven each election cycle of people who do not live there anymore. Male ballots with dirty voter rolls are legal and non-citizen voters, dead voters, and voters with multiple voter registrations together with voting machines that are hacked by foreign entities do not encourage voters. It encourages fraudulent and illegal votes. We do not have reliable elections at all. Free and fair elections, which used to be the foundation of our country, are no longer the standard. Please do your job that you are bound to do. Clean up our voter rolls and go back to counting our votes on election day by people, not machines. We need to, one, vote in person with a state-issued photo ID, two, in your precinct, and three, one day counting election days should be a holiday so that all may have plenty of time to vote and each legal vote may be counted by people, not machines. The overseas votes are by email. There is no need to be counting those votes days and weeks after election day. There's so much fraud happening there also. I will submit you a link to 2020 Jewish Watch found 372,000 votes, more than there are registered voters in Colorado. And so they won their case. But then for 2024 election, many of those voters were back on the voter rolls as well as new ones that should not have voted. Judicial Watch had to sue again and settle out of court. They also have found six million illegal votes nationwide. Please watch this video that I submit at the bottom of this memo. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms. Curry. Mila Schusterman.

Good morning, commissioners. My name is Mila Schusterman. I live in Centennial. I've been here many times. Over the past several years, we have brought before you substantial amount of data, raising serious questions about our elections. Yet, many of these concerns have never been adequately addressed. Colorado law statute, revised Colorado statute 17515, states that the General Assembly considers election result auditing necessary to ensure effective election administration and public confidence in the election process. The statute specifically establishes risk-limiting audit as part of that process. But we have to ask ourselves, Are we actually increasing public confidence if citizens continue to raise legitimate questions and do not receive clear answers? If we genuinely want to restore and strengthen public confidence, I believe we need to consider a fundamentally different approach. We should return to a system in which the chain of custody and counting of every ballot can be observed and independently verified, not merely through electronic records, but physically and visually. That means counting at the precinct level using bipartisan teams with the process conducted openly and under continuous video surveillance. The procedures should allow for meaningful observation, documentation, and when necessary, an independent audit or recount. This is not about the political party. It is about creating an election process that ordinary citizens can observe, understand, and trust. If our goal is truly public confidence, then we should design our election procedures around transparency and verifiability, not simply around telling the public that the system is secure. I am asking the commissioners to take these concerns seriously, to demand answers to the questions that have already been raised, and to consider whether returning to transparent Precinct 11 hand counting would provide the level of public confidence that our current system has not been able to achieve. You all invited on September 11 to attend the demonstration of the hand count. It's in the neighborhood, especially for Jeff and Jessica, right off Telluride, where I used to vote in person many years ago. Thank you very much. Thank you. Susan Baker. Susan Baker.

Over 50 years This is my first time speaking in front of the commissioners because up until recently I have been employed full-time Monday through Friday and unable to attend However, that does not mean I'm unaware of the numerous times that this board has been made aware of the status of elections in our county. At the beginning of your meetings, you recite the Pledge of Allegiance taking on an oath to the Republic of the United States to support and defend the Constitution and ensure liberty and justice for all. You are elected officials representing us here in Arapahoe County, and we, as your constituents, are requesting liberty and justice for us, specifically regarding evidence of corruption in our elections. As many others have attested, I also have evidence of voters not being removed from voter rolls, even though Colorado pays a hefty fee to the Election Registration and Information Center, also known as ERIC. which is supposedly designed to prevent ineligible registration. My example, my sister lived with me for a scant four months almost two decades ago. And for that period of time, I have fought to have her removed from the voter rolls since I know she is registered in her new state. I also have a co-precinct leader who he and his family moved out of state a few years ago. As of last night, he and his wife are still on the voter rolls. I know they are registered in their new state. Several people have presented proof to this board that many voters have moved or died but are still listed as eligible to vote in Colorado. You may think that these issues are very few because most citizens are unable to testify at the meetings usually due to job requirements, similar to my situation until recently. Why are we paying for ERIC as well as salaries for election workers to maintain voter rolls when they are at the least inefficient or at the worst, inept? The expense to mail ballots on each election cycle to every voter that is listed on the rolls, whether it's valid or not, is astronomical. The Dominion machines that are used in Colorado elections have been proven to contain foreign components as well as internet connectivity, making them vulnerable to hacking, both issues which make them uncertifiable to be used in elections per HAVA. Specifically, our county commissioners control the funding of the county election department, which means we as taxpayers are forced to finance incompetence. Our community deserves real solutions to valid, transparent, and audible elections. We urge you to visit the hand counting that Mila spoke about. Again, it's this coming Friday, September 11th at 5.30, where we will demonstrate that we can do an accurate and significantly less expensive option. Thank you. Thank you. Perfect.

Karen Talentire.

Karen Tallentire, Littleton. Thomas Jefferson said, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and his justice cannot sleep forever. He said this at a time when only some people's rights were being violated, but now it's almost everybody. I spent a while yesterday trying to get Grok, the AI on X, to admit that the Colorado election system violates the Constitution. It was funny. Grok admitted self-governance means electing representatives, and admitted you can't unknowingly elect representatives. Electing requires knowing you voted and your vote was correctly counted. Grok admitted that only about 7,600 people in all of Colorado have any ability as election workers to verify anything about the vote, and even most of that is just a show that doesn't prove anything. Grok admitted that 7,600 out of 4 million voters, that those were the numbers. What Grok would not do is the simple percentage calculation showing that means 99% of Colorado voters have no ability to know their vote counted. Because Grok wouldn't answer my follow-on question, which was whether that says Coloradans have no ability to self-govern, and that means Colorado is in rebellion against the Constitution. It was like I told a robot to violate its prime directive. You know how in science fiction robots that are forced to admit that logic violates their prime directive, they either end up committing suicide or blowing up the world and stuff like that? But people have prime directives too. People pay a lot more attention to the process of how officials get into positions when they realize those officials are taxing them out of house and home. You know something about taxation without representation? We can still avert the conflict by having real elections that comply with the Constitution, where citizens can hand count and personally watch the counting. That cools tensions by allowing everyone to see how things really are. Citizens are practicing for this. The Colorado Union of Ballot Counters has organized a competition Friday evening in Arapahoe County. I have emailed you an invitation. Everybody else is inviting you. Please come. Thanks.

Thank you. Greg Sullivan.

Greg Sullivan, Climate and Kids, Clean Air, Healthy Kids. Children first, why Arapahoe County must act. First, I want to thank the county for its recent response to my concerns regarding the state permit allowing Costco Fuel Center at Mineral Place to dispense approximately 36.8 million gallons of gasoline annually, 100,000 gallons per day. Obscene. I appreciate the county taking the time to respond to my protest and to clarify the county's role, but that response raises larger questions. What is Arapahoe County's responsibility when a major new source of gasoline emissions is located near children? Costco Fuel Center at Mineral Place is not an ordinary gas station. They only have 32 fueling pumps. It's authorized to approximately 36.8 million gallons of gasoline dispensed per year and more than 100,000 gallons and is located near two schools. This matters because Rappaport County already has a significant childhood asthma problem, which I have already reported to you. 832 asthma-related emergency department visits every year. 232 children were hospitalized with asthma every year. Every year, average for the last 10 years. The data show that Arapahoe County's asthma burden is above Colorado average. There are children in our community who are going to emergency rooms and hospitals because they cannot breathe. A facility of this scale presents three areas of concern. First, children's health. Gasoline fueling and associated traffic can release VOCs, benzene, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. Second, environmental health. More than 36 million gallons of gasoline a year means a large-scale fuel storage, delivery, and handling with potential concerns involving air quality. Third, public safety. There was increased tanker traffic. And as you know, there was a tanker fire right up the street from you. Burned for five hours. Terrible. The man did not survive. My request is straightforward. I ask Arapahoe County to establish a clear public health and environmental health criteria for large fuel facilities and other high emission developments, particularly when they are located near schools, childcare facilities, and a sensitive population. These criteria should consider children's respiratory health, air quality and gasoline emissions, environmental risk, public safety and emergency response. Those criteria should then be used for the county comments and recommendations when these projects come before the municipalities. This is not stopping development. It is about making sure that public health is considered before next major fuel facility is approved, not after it's operating. Littleton decides development. I get that, you get that. Arapahoe County has responsibilities to help determine what public health protection should be considered when it gets there. When children already experience hundreds of asthma emergencies and hospitalizations every year, we should not wait for the next health statistic to tell us what to do next. Thank you.

Thank you. Candace Rutledge.

Hello, can you hear me? Hi, my name is Candace Rutledge and I'm a street cat from here in Littleton. I've been parked between here and the city of Littleton since December of last year. And I wanted to let you guys know that I met another street cat who has gone through similar or worse terrorism than the things that you have heard me speak. He said that he tried to report before but was not taken seriously and I began to get the sense that he was disregarded in the midst of being harassed in an agonizing and organized way. This is a pattern that I've seen with other street cats and I don't appreciate that when they go to try to talk to the police about things that are happening to them that they are dismissed or disregarded or tricked that there's no internal affairs at the city of Littleton, which is one of the things that I was led to believe at one point. And so I always thought I had to find a workaround to try to do anything. And it's been very, very stressful and annoying and frustrating. And I believe this is how you get people to snap when they can't get through the system in any way that's meaningful to them. And in addition to that, I wanted to mention that one of the things that happened that day when I met him was that someone told the South Metro over here at Littleton that he was there and might need help and they showed up. But they had no MREs because I thought maybe he was not well because he might have been starved or maybe even due to the heat also, plus his anguish that he was going through, not hydrated enough. So when they showed up, they had no MREs. I think those should be available in every ambulance and allergy-aware ones for people that might have a range of issues. You don't know what they might have, but something that's pretty benign. Uh, water bottles not labeled by the big wheel for profit hospitals. That'd be nice for all of us who have been taken on mental health holds about which I've spoke about. That's traumatizing. You know, he drank the water. I went and got him at mango tree before he drank the sealed water that said Advent health on it. And I probably do the same thing. You know, I've been marked up. I came here and showed you how I got marked up by the South Advent health on Broadway. And, uh, Something I also think is that police, county, municipal, or otherwise should always have a tent, hot warmers, sleeping bags, and a decent place to tell people where to pitch their tents, much like how you could go to Union Station in times past and hang out there all night and they'd have RTD security hanging out with you all night just so you had somewhere to be and then in the morning you could just leave. And then in other news, AI flagging people via cameras with facial recognition. We don't know whether those are affected by Salt Typhoon, whether there's people on the line watching those and spying those that aren't supposed to be there, because anything on the internet can be intercepted.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room that did not get to put their name on the list but would like to speak? Chris, is there anybody online who would like to speak at this time?

There's no one in the queue at this time.

All right. Well, then with that, we are going to say thank you for your comments. And as a reminder, we do not respond to individual comments during this section of our agenda, but we do listen and do take note of the issues for resolution and follow-up as appropriate. Again, we encourage you to email us at commissioners at arapahogo.com if we weren't able to hear your comments today. So today, we are honored to have two proclamations before us. The first is recognizing September 13th through 19th, 2026 as National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week. Is there a motion to approve this proclamation? Madam Chair? Yes, Commissioner Baker. I'd like to move to approve this proclamation. Second. It has been moved by Commissioner Baker and properly seconded by Commissioner Campbell to approve the proclamation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Are there any opposed? Any abstentions? The ayes have it. The proclamation is adopted. And I am honored to read this proclamation. All right, here we go. A proclamation for National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week, September 13th through 19th, 2026. Whereas individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises deserve a compassionate, coordinated, and effective response, and whereas co-responders and crisis responders, including behavioral health clinicians, peer support specialists, and public safety personnel who work alongside them, provide critical, often life-saving support to community members in their most vulnerable moments. And whereas these professionals help divert individuals in crisis away from unnecessary arrest, incarceration, and emergency room visits, connecting them instead to appropriate mental health and substance use services. And whereas co-responder and crisis response programs strengthen the relationship between public safety and behavioral health systems, improving outcomes for residents, and reducing strain on law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical resources. And whereas the demand for mental health and substance use services continues to rise across Arapahoe County and the nation, underscoring the importance of a skilled and dedicated crisis response workforce. And whereas the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Behavioral Health Response Team responded to 2,386 mental health calls in 2025. And whereas the International Co-Responder Alliance established National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week to recognize the vital contributions of these professionals nationwide. And whereas Arapahoe County is grateful for the co-responders and crisis responders who serve our community with skill, courage, and compassion under demanding and unpredictable circumstances. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners does hereby recognize September 13th through 19th, 2026 as National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week in Arapahoe County and calls upon all residents to join in expressing appreciation for the co-responders and crisis responders who work tirelessly to support the mental health and well-being of our community. Are there any commissioner comments on the proclamation commissioners? Yes. Commissioner Warren Gulley.

Thank you, Madam chair. I just would like to offer my thanks to first of all, the sheriff and his team for bringing this forward. This idea of having co-responders in Arapahoe County. I mean, we see the numbers, we get the numbers every quarter from you all. We see the success of this program. and to thank the co-responders that are here today for taking on a situation where you are handing people off to a better solution than either, as said, going to a hospital or to jail. And this is just such an important part of the direction that I see happening through our law enforcement sheriff's office. which is really enlightening because as Sheriff Brown says, many times we are the number one mental health provider in Arapahoe County is our law enforcement. And if we, uh, don't see the training necessarily in the work that you do in becoming a law enforcement officer, That is why it's so important to have the support of team members that really are trained in these skills and are able to really care for our community in a way. And I've been so pleased that the Sheriff's Department just has embraced this model and supports our co-responders so that there isn't any conflict. And I do think that that happens sometimes where you have departments that are resistant. I have never heard that about our team. Thank you to both sides of this work and it's greatly appreciated. Thank you. Commissioner Campbell.

Thank you, Madam chair. So I kind of want to pull out big picture first. And I think what is so amazing about the co-responder program is that it really, it, it addresses sort of the philosophical questions around what is the point of law enforcement in our justice and legal system, right? Is it to just punish people for existing, to just throw people in jail, or is it to help correct behaviors that are not helpful to a healthy society. And you can have, and we study in the law, of the what is the intent, what is the mens rea, like what is the thought process that someone is in when they are doing something that is not healthy or helpful to society. And recognizing that not all people who are doing something that may be disruptive are doing so with the intent to disrupt, with the intent to break the law. They may be in a place where their decision-making capabilities are not in a healthy place. And it does no good to treat those people as if that's not what the cause of their actions are. And I think it is when somebody is in that state, we need trained professionals to be able to meet those needs where they are. And so I am just incredibly grateful that we have literally one of the best sheriff's offices in the country and that the approach that we have is a human approach. And I don't know if the sheriff is going to speak, so I'm going to steal his line for him, but we are in the people helping business, right? And we work hand in hand in that way. from like we've got community resources, workforce development here, from upstream to housing to workforce development to then when people need a little more of a hands-on approach to help correct behaviors, right? But how we do that really depends and how we do that well and return people to society in a healthy way starts very often with that initial contact that we have and meeting people where they are and being able to help their mental and behavioral health crisis is some of the best, is one of the best forms of correcting and helping them get back on track. And so I'm just very grateful for this program and for your leadership and Echo Commissioner Warren Gulley's sentiments around the leadership on it and to our team, because it's not easy work at all. And it's, yeah, I'm just very grateful. Thank you.

Thank you. Commissioner fields.

Thank you, ma'am chair. And I too want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of alcohol responders, because you don't just respond, but you show up. And when you show up, you're providing a level of support and care that that family may not know how to navigate. And it takes a certain type of skill to be able to do that because you don't know what you're really showing up to. And a lot of times it's families that are in crisis and we need a co-responder that can be an effective navigator to help calm the situation down, to figure out next steps. It's kind of a luxury to have a co-responder model. I think someone mentioned already, not every city or county does this, but to know that Arapahoe County is doing this, it's the right approach, it's the right thing because families and issues can be complicated and like the commissioner said doesn't mean that that needs to end in incarceration sometimes people need a different touch point and that's what uh co-responders do so thank you for your time and your service and your support of this effort thank you very much commissioner fields

And I'm not going to say much, but I am going to invite the sheriff up to speak. But I do want to say thank you. I echo the voices of the rest of the commissioners who spoke, and we are excited to see you here today, sir.

Thank you. Thank you, commissioners. We need to stop hanging out with each other as much as we do. That was all my speaking points. I do really want to reiterate that we are in the people business and that the model that we've created at the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office with our co-responders really speaks to helping people. And that's what the basis of this profession is. It's making sure that people understand that they have a resource that can help. And you talked about the total number over 2000 individuals helped in Arapahoe County and the city of Centennial. This program is supported by not only the board of County commissioners and the sheriff's office, but also the city council of the city of Centennial. So we provide, law enforcement services for over 230,000 people in Arapahoe County, the unincorporated area, and the incorporated parts of Centennial. And we're making sure that these people's needs are being met. And not just met at their doorstep, but from the moment that they contact 911. And they tell us that they're going through a crisis. All of our dispatchers are trained in crisis intervention. Our law enforcement deputies are trained in mental health first aid. We have a team that's specifically trained in crisis intervention at the sheriff's office. And then we have our co-responders on top of it. And so I kind of look at it as kind of a military type approach of we have our basic infantry people who attack mental health issues. We have our specialized units. And then we bring in kind of the CIA of mental health, our co-responders. And they are really the tip of the spear when it comes to addressing these issues. And they keep people out of custody. They allow law enforcement officers to return to their daily work. that has nothing to do with the judicial system. They're there to make sure that the individual is safe, that our co-responder is safe, and then they push those people into community-based treatment. And that's really where it's at. We book in over 18,000 people a year to the Arapahoe County Detention Facility. At any given time, 85% of those individuals are going through a mental health crisis or a substance use disorder crisis, which we all know revolves around mostly around mental health issues. And so if we can provide those services at their doorstep, at a community based program, and then be able to return them to home, we are taking better care of our community. The men and women who come and work at the sheriff's office, you mentioned this, Commissioner Warangole, that there is no conflict. That's because we are one team, and we are all pulling the wagon in the exact same direction each and every day. Not only do they support the citizens of Arapahoe County, they do an amazing job supporting the men and women in uniform who go out with them each and every day. They recognize things in their teams that they might not recognize in themselves, and they're able to have conversations and provide that mental health. And so not only does it make our constituents stronger and healthier, it makes our working group stronger and healthier. So I want to thank the commissioners for taking the time to recognize co-responders and crisis response teams, not only here at the sheriff's office and in Arapahoe County, but across all of our jurisdictions and across the state of Colorado, because I believe it is truly making a difference in how we approach our citizenry. So thank you.

Thank you, sir. Thank you very much, Sheriff. If you folks would hang out for a little while longer, we're going to take a picture, but not until after we do the next proclamation. So thank you again, Sheriff, to you and your incredible team for the work that you do. And it is very special that you brought Captain Heaton with you today, and we appreciate that. So just like District 4. Or your District 5. So thank you very, very much. Our next proclamation is recognizing September 2026 as Workforce Development Month. Is there a motion to approve the proclamation? Madam Chair? Yes, Commissioner Warren-Gulley.

I move that we adopt this proclamation. Second.

It has been moved by Commissioner Warren Gulley and properly seconded by Commissioner Fields to approve the proclamation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? The ayes have it and the proclamation is adopted. I would like to ask Commissioner Campbell to read this proclamation, please.

I would be more than happy to, Madam Chair. Thank you so much. A proclamation for National Workforce Development Month in Arapahoe County. Whereas Arapahoe County's workforce remains the cornerstone of our economic vitality and Workforce Colorado Arapahoe Douglas Works delivers no cost workforce development solutions supporting individuals in accessing meaningful employment while helping businesses secure skilled talent and Whereas the employment landscape continually changes through economic and technological trends, labor market fluctuations, and talent mobility and competition. And whereas Workforce Colorado Arapahoe Douglas Works provides comprehensive tools to navigate today's job market, including cutting edge workshops, personalized career navigation, labor market intelligence, skills training assistance, and digital literacy. And whereas, according to the most recent data available, Arapahoe Douglas Works generated $45.8 million in economic impact. And for every $1 of public funds spent by Arapahoe Douglas Works, the return was $7.97 in new worker earnings. Moreover, participants' median annual wage increased by $11,112 after utilizing Arapahoe Douglas Works services. Whereas recognizing workforce development must evolve with our changing economy, the Colorado Apprenticeship Hub, managed and operated by Arapahoe Douglas Works, has awarded $3 million to 23 organizations and businesses across the state to develop and expand 21 registered apprenticeship programs and 12 high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs. And whereas Arapahoe Douglas Works has served as a model of excellence at a national level and earned distinguished recognition through awards, including the 2026 Apprenticeship Colorado Outstanding Partner Award, the 2026 Colorado Space Business Roundtable Cosmic Contributor Award, recognizing our efforts to empower our future aerospace workforce through teacher externships and clearance-ready credentialing in the 2026 CTA Apex Award. Tech Talent Denver Leadership Team, which is inclusive of Arapahoe Douglas Works, received the Advocate of the Year, the 2025 Center of Work Education and Employment Program Partner of the Year, and the 2025 Greater Inglewood Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Business Achievement Award nomination. These awards demonstrate Arapahoe Douglas Works' measurable impact on strengthening our county's economic foundation. And whereas addressing future challenges and opportunities, adaptive workforce development, continuous learning, and strategic public-private partnerships are critical to ensuring our community's economic resilience and individual prosperity. Now, therefore, The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners proclaims September 2026 as National Workforce Development Month in Arapahoe County and invites residents to join us in recognizing workforce development professionals' invaluable contributions during this month. Thank you.

Commissioners? Commissioner Baker. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Well, I just wanna say job well done. We know how busy our Arapahoe Douglas Workforce Center is. In fact, we may be attracting folks from other jurisdictions that may not have quite the services that we provide. It's extensive and it's critical to seeing our economic development in Arapahoe County. And I can't thank you all enough for the job that you've done. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Fields.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, want to acknowledge the work that's being done as it relates to workforce development because, you know, people attach their identity to their work. And looking for work is hard work. And you need to have a group of people, an agency, like the work that you guys are doing that are connecting people to opportunities. Because it can get to the point when you're looking for a job that they won't find a match. But what I like about what you guys do is that you just don't give up on people that are looking for jobs. And it's really hard. Our economy is not the best if you don't have the resources and resources, meaning income. And so I would say when I heard the impressive numbers that was reported, that is like good work to be doing because we're connecting people to work, which helps us shrink that economic gap and they're able to provide and protect their family. And so continue to doing this good work. It's so much needed. Thank you so very much.

Commissioner Warren-Gulley. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just can't say enough about our team. I know you all know that there's a lot of conversation going on around workforce right now, and every single one of the folks in these seats are being sought after for information, for experience, for expertise, and the skills that they bring to the state. They are leaders in our state. I mean, Sasha, as a director, is called on many times, is sitting on, I don't know how you're keeping up with all those meetings. You're on our apprenticeship program, Benjamin, that you've highlighted is just amazing. Patrick, our economist, businesses depend on him for so many different things. So there's a lot going on right now, and our group, our workforce center, is really a grounding across all of those conversations and such a leader. And that happens because they have worked so hard on our community to build partnerships. Partnerships with our businesses, partnerships with our community providers, partnerships with our K-12 system, our community colleges. Anybody who's willing to come to the table to help the folks that Commissioner Fields spoke to they are a part of the team, and our team is willing to work with them. I think the most important aspect of the work that they do is, as Commissioner Fields said, this is not easy work when you're looking for a job, but it's really not easy work when you don't have a GED, or you have a language barrier, or you have some of these very, maybe you've been justice involved, Those are the folks our group is working with. These are our most vulnerable and they don't want to just find them a job at McDonald's. They want to find them a job that is a career and that takes time and effort and commitment by everybody on the team and the Arapahoe Douglas work. So thank you for being a leader in our state and for helping us shape what the next iteration of workforce looks like in our future.

Thank you. Commissioner Campbell. Thank you, Madam Chair. And welcome back from recess, everyone. You obviously were like, yeah, we get to talk about stuff again. And so I think it's, I mean, I have just kind of a couple different thoughts. And I think, first of all, it's great that these two things are here today in front of us at the same time. Um, because workforce development is public safety workforce development is homelessness prevention workforce development is mental and behavioral health support. Right. And so it, it, it kind of, I just am having kind of a little whole person. full picture kind of moment over here and so I wanted to note that and then I just also and also in thinking about the sheriff and our co-responder program too one of the things that we say on the board is that Arapahoe is number one not just because we were the first county but because we're the best county and the services we provide and the level of dedication that we have to setting our residents up for success and where we have had board strategy retreats, right? Where we are meeting with the board and meeting with our other elected officials and meeting with our department directors and thinking about the mission and vision of the county. One of the things that I, one of the moments that I thought was so amazing over the last couple of years was when we were talking about what is the role of government and that we are not here to be patronizing. We cannot force people to choose to better their lives, right? We can create the supports and the incentive and the buttressing around through services so that they have the support and they have the resources they need to be able to make those choices. One of the things when we, you know, we all knock doors as elected officials and do all this stuff, and when people are talking about crime and just lock them up in diversion programs, don't have accountability, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I love having those conversations because... When we are thinking about the economy, if you see your parents working three jobs, they're always gone, you don't have a relationship, all of these things, what is your incentive to not, to be very frank, to not sell drugs? You're like, I can make that much money on the weekend, you know? And then that creates a negative feedback loop, right? And that kid gets themselves in a situation and then the carceral justice system then has those consequences and then There's a negative feedback loop on that person's future income into that family. And we repeat the cycle of poverty. And so I believe our workforce center and the work that our sheriff's office is doing to meet people where they are and to address who they are is genuinely, it's crime prevention. It is the role of government to set the services and programs that we know people need to be able to live their best lives, right? We did not, we were not born on this earth to just struggle and die without ever having an opportunity to live your best life. You all are part of that. Our co-responders are part of that. And I love that we get to be part of that as well. So thank you genuinely for all of the work you do to make our little corner of the world a better place and to really help people live their best lives.

Thank you. And, um, I, uh, cannot, uh, let everybody else speak and me not because workforce development and y'all are so very important to my life. And I cannot thank you enough for the work that you do for Arapahoe County and for the work that you do for mothers who need help with their children launching. We appreciate you more than you could ever know. But in all seriousness, it is amazing the work that you do. I mean, you get in, you get on that micro level with people to really ignite the spark that is going to make a permanent change in people's lives, could change the trajectory of someone's life. And that is so exciting and so rewarding. And I just really appreciate all of the work that each of you do for Arapahoe County. And with that, I would like to invite Sasha Easton up for, to say a few words if you'd like. And then after that, we're going to collect in the back for pictures.

Thank you so much commissioners for this proclamation and for recognizing September as workforce development month. Workforce development is really about creating opportunity. for individuals, for businesses, and our communities. Every day our workforce system helps people prepare for and connect to meaningful employment, whether they are entering the workforce for the first time, changing careers, returning to work, or building skills to advance. At the same time, we work alongside businesses to help them recruit, retain, and develop the talent that they need to grow and remain competitive. and none of that work happens in isolation. Our success depends on our strong partnerships with employers, education and training providers, economic development organizations, chambers, community-based organizations, our Workforce Development Board, and many others who share the commitment to strengthening our regional economy. I also want to take a moment to recognize my Arapahoe Douglas Works colleagues They are incredibly dedicated and passionate, whether that's helping a job seeker navigate a difficult transition, connecting them to training that can change the trajectory of their career, helping a business solve a workforce challenge or bringing partners together around a shared goal. Those individual interactions may seem small in the moment, but collectively they have a significant impact on our families, businesses, and communities throughout our region. I also want to deeply thank our Board of County Commissioners for your continued leadership, advocacy, and dedicated support of our work. Local leadership is one of our greatest strengths of our workforce system in Colorado. Because workforce centers are embedded within the communities we serve, we understand the unique needs of our residents and employers, and we could build and foster those relationships and respond in dynamic and impactful ways. And as we think about what comes next, I believe it is important that we continue to build upon what is already working. Trusted local relationships, strong employer engagement, meaningful partnerships, and commitment to serving our communities in meaningful and impactful ways. Workforce Development Month gives us an opportunity to recognize the work and the people who make it possible every day. Thank you so much for your partnership and continued support of our residents, businesses, and communities we are privileged to serve every day. And I'm so incredibly proud of Arapahoe Douglas Works and excited for the opportunities ahead. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms. Easton. All right, Sheriff's Office and AD Works, we're going to head back there for a picture. We'll be right back.

Thank you.

Thank you. No.

Thank you.

One, two, three. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Oh, where's the thing? Okay, here we are. All right. So Commissioner Fields is on her way back. Great. So we have 19 items on our consent agenda today. Does any commissioner wish to remove an item? Madam Chair?

Yes, Commissioner Warren-Gulligan.

to adopt the consent agenda as presented. Second. It has been moved and properly seconded to adopt the consent agenda as presented. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Then the motion passes. The ayes have it, the motion is adopted. Thank you very, very much. And so now we have two items on our general business agenda today. The first is a public hearing on our second quarter budget supplemental. Our presenter is Lisa Stairs, senior budget analyst in finance. That's a lot of words. And our attorney of record is John Christopherson, Acton County Attorney. Mr. Christopherson, could you please set the foundation?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Pursued to state statute, once the county has adopted its annual budget, the board may transfer appropriate monies between funds or between spending agencies within a fund, or if unanticipated revenue is received, the board may elect a supplemental budget and appropriation, only after notice of the transfer and or supplemental appropriation has been published. The record should reflect that notice of the 27 supplemental appropriation items to the 2026 budget was published in the September 3rd, 2026 issues of the Inglewood Herald, Littleton Independent, and Centennial Citizen newspapers. Therefore, the board is jurisdiction to consider these 27 supplemental appropriation items to the 2026 budget.

Thank you very much, Mr. Christopherson. Ms. Stairs, would you please provide the presentation?

Good morning. In consideration of your time, and we did review all of these supplementals at the study session on August 10th. I won't go through every single one of them. I'll just highlight a couple. We have two different sections, ones that are discussion needed and then new request budget revenue neutral. So the first one, the Sheriff's Office is requesting a transfer of $18,000 from their operating budget within the general fund to the central services fund for the retention of a vehicle, of a pickup instead of sending it to auction and instead retiring a Ford Fusion that they had retained. Also in the general fund, the clerk and recorder's office is requesting to have $60,000 appropriated from fund balance to increase their election judge hourly pay by two hours so that they can be more competitive with our neighboring counties and cities. The coroner's office is requesting to transfer $7,850 from the central services fund for a microscope that is no longer needed and instead use those funds in the general fund to purchase replacement bone saws and a fingerprint scanner. The county attorney's office is requesting to have $70,600 recognized and appropriated within the general fund. for the new RAVE alert system for their annual subscription and the implementation cost. The Sheriff's Office is requesting to have $11,010 transferred from their operating fund within the general fund to the central services fund to purchase an additional floor scrubber for the medical wing at the detention facility. The Sheriff's Office is also requesting to have $300,000 appropriated from the ALEA fund balance, the Arapahoe Law Enforcement Authority fund balance, to cover additional overtime needs. And within the Central Services Fund, the Information Technology Department is requesting to appropriate $521,838 and increase the value of four existing assets that are ready to be purchased for disk storage systems and the shelves as we bring that back from the cloud. And that was approved or brought to the board at a study session on July 7th. In the grant fund, the Public Works and Development Division is requesting for a placeholder to recognize $105,000 in revenue as a reimbursement from the Local Planning Capacity Grant and appropriate $150,000. And the difference is that $45,000 for that county match. The Public Works and Development Division is also requesting a placeholder of $898,250 dollars to be recognized and appropriated for the decarbonization grant. Under the new revenue and budget cleanup, Open Spaces and Public Works has a request to recognize $50,394 of cash in lieu funds that were received by Public Works from two different developments in the cash in lieu fund and appropriate that same amount within the same fund for Open Spaces. The Clerk and Recorder's Office has a request of $99,250 to be recognized and appropriated in the grant fund for the Electronic Recording Technology Board grant. The Public Works and Development has a couple of requests in the infrastructure fund. One of them is to reduce the revenue of $400 and reduce the expenditures of $45,787 for the federal portion of the completed gun club intersection project. Then they also have a request of $11,200,000 to be recognized and appropriated within the infrastructure fund for a combined effort from the federal city of Aurora and Adams County for the Highline Canal Trail underpass that will be near the East Colfax Avenue and North Laredo Street. The county's portion of 800,000 is already budgeted within the open spaces fund. The last two requests are also in the infrastructure fund for public works and development. The first one is to reduce revenue by $136 and reduce the expenditure budget by $1.1 million. This is also to close out a federal project for the ILIF federal design project. Public Works also has a request to appropriate $69,753 that was estimated incorrectly at year end during the re-appropriation process. So this will give them the appropriation to complete the Quebec Hawk signal project. In total, for our discussion needed supplementals, we are adding $29,125 in the general fund and increasing the expenditure appropriation by $239,367. The law enforcement authority, that's the $300,000 expenditure for the overtime. And then in the capital expenditure fund, we had a transfer from appropriated funds to the detention medical center facility project, so that's a neutral. But collectively, we have a reduction in revenue of $179,356 and an increase to expenditures of $857,819. With the new revenue and budget cleanup, we're adding $11.5 million in revenue, offset by $10.4 million in expenditures. And with that, I will answer any questions. Thank you.

Commissioners, are there any questions for Ms. Stairs? Great. Looks like there are no questions. Well, thank you very, very much. I'm going to now open up the item for public comment.

I know.

Right. We could, yes, yes. So I'm going to open this up for public comment. Is there anybody on the list for public comment? No, I'm sorry. Okay. Chris, is there anybody online who would like to make a comment on this agenda item? Or not. So I am going to go ahead and say the answer is no. And I'm going to close public comment at this time. And is there any commissioner discussion?

Madam Chair?

Yes, Commissioner.

Campbell. Not to cut off any discussion, but I'm happy to make a motion if there's no comment. It looks like we are ready for a motion. Go right ahead. Thank you, Madam Chair. I move to adopt the supplemental appropriation resolution for the 27 items as part of the 2026 budget that was presented to the board on the second quarter budget review study session on August 10th, 2026 and brought forward for today's public hearing for formal adoption.

It has been moved by Commissioner Campbell and properly seconded by Commissioner Fields to adopt the motion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? The ayes have it, and the motion is adopted. Thank you very, very much, Finance.

Thank you, Finance. We love you. I love sitting here and listening. Yes. I don't know why.

I had kind of forgotten about some of those things.

It was kind of like, oh, yeah. Yeah, like, that's right, that's right. So, the second item is a proposed amendment to the Development Application Manual related to wireless communication facilities and proposed fees. Case number LDC26-002. Our presenter is Ernie Rose, Energy Planner in Public Works and Development. And our attorney of record is Matt Hader, Senior Assistant County Attorney. Mr. Hader, could you please set the foundation?

Absolutely. With regard to the single matter before the public, for the Board of County Commissioners today for public hearing, specifically an amendment to development application manual for wireless communication facilities, formerly referred to as the commercial mobile radio services, including an update to the planning review fee schedule in case number LDC 26-002. The record contains evidence consistent with the requirements of Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Arapahoe County Land Development Code, indicating that notice was timely provided by a publication. The Board of County Commissioners has jurisdiction to proceed with the public hearing this morning.

Thank you very much, Mr. Hader. Mr. Rose, would you please provide the presentation?

Good morning, Commissioner. Good morning. We're finally bringing this case to the end. We've seen it several times, but... This is LDC 26002. It's the transition from commercial mobile radio service to wireless communication facilities. We are asking for your decision to approve the proposed amendment. The amendment actually retitles the CMRS section. This is related to the dam, I should say, more importantly, most importantly. But it retitles the CMRS regulations to the WCF with his wireless communication facilities, and it creates new rules for eligible facility requests. There's also a criteria for the review of eligible facility requests and non-eligible facilities. There's a whole new process for these EFRs, as we refer to them, which ends with a determination letter. added workflow diagrams to the dam, introduces a shot clock, which puts us on a timeline, and sets a fee for EFRs and non-eligible facilities. This is an example of the flow chart showing the FR on a property. We're trying to get these done in a week. We've been processing these for some time now, and so this is working quite well. It is speeding up minor adjustments to sites that can meet the criteria. The workflow for the private properties pretty much stayed the same, but we are recommending Let me hold back. Here's the form that you use to submit for a wireless communication facility. It's online, available to the providers. And then this is the flow chart for the private property, which mainly stayed the same. We haven't had a lot of requests for these since we instituted the EFR. We did do research on other fees in the area. We checked with other counties, but we arrived at a fee or a proposed fee of $645. We used the hours it took manpower-wise to achieve that number, so we are proposing a $645 fee for these letters. This is how you access the wireless communication facility form, or the EFR form, excuse me. We had a public hearing in September 2025 that approved the WCF amendment. We had a study session regarding this amendment to the dam in May of 26. This was also in front of the Planning Commission on July 7th. and they forwarded a recommendation of approval. With that, staff is recommending approval of the proposed amendment, and I'll take any questions you may have.

Thank you, Mr. Rose. Any questions, commissioners, for Mr. Rose? No questions. Isn't that something? So I'll go ahead and open this up for public comment too. Do we have any buddy in the room? Okay. There's nobody on the list for public comment. And Chris, are you back up there?

I am. And there is no one in the queue.

Great. Thank you very, very much. I appreciate that. So if you needed to make a public comment, you can go ahead and, Send us something at commissioners at arapahogov.com for all of the public comment from Mr. Rose. So at this point, do we have any commissioner discussion? If not, I will take a motion.

Yes, Commissioner Warren-Gully. I did just want to ask. Mr. Rose, it sounds like you've already kind of tried out and scoped out this system, and it's working well.

The EFR especially, except we're not charging a fee yet.

Right, right.

Cutting ourselves short.

Okay. Well, I'm glad that they got it going in the right direction, and I appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Commissioner Campbell?

All right, Ernie, let's try to get you some revenue to support this program, yeah? So in the case of LDC 26-002, amendments to the development application manual and the planning review fee schedule addressing wireless communication facilities, former commercial mobile radio service. I reviewed the matter in the record, including the staff report, all exhibits and attachments. I've listened to the testimony and the public comment as presented at the hearing. And based on the record before me, I hereby move to approve and adopt the resolution of the record amending the development application manual plan planning review fee schedule.

Second.

It has been moved by Commissioner Campbell and properly seconded by Commissioner Warren Gulley. That's what I thought, but I just wanted to double check. To approve the motion, all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? The ayes have it. The motion is adopted. Thank you very much, Mr. Rose. We appreciate you. We have no polled consent agenda items. Great. And so now, do we have any commissioner comments and opportunity for commissioners to make remarks about the work they're doing, issues of importance, remembrances, all of that? I do. Yes, Commissioner Campbell.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So today is, I think my fellow members know, but for the thousands of people listening online, I am the chair of 988. 988 is a free and confidential mental health helpline. And we're very intentional to not say crisis only, right? Because it could be you're having a moment at work and you just kind of don't know who to talk to and you need some quick help, um, to help you get through a tough moment all the way up to, Hey, I am in crisis and I need probably some, uh, a mobile response team to come out. We've been doing incredible work. And since today is 9-8, today is 9-8-8 day. And so if you go online at 9-8-8 Colorado, I think is the handle on Instagram, you'll see lots of videos. I got to do a video with Congresswoman Boebert yesterday. For 988, Congressman Crowe also submitted a video, and then I also welcome people to record their own videos, throw up 15, 30 seconds on just kind of highlighting the platform 988. We invested a lot of money to try to get it out there, but we want it to be as ubiquitous as 911. And so, but instead of- physical issue or kind of criminal issue it is for your mental health and so it is free it is confidential your mental health is not a burden to people ask for help um we want to help your friends want to help your family wants to help um no matter the size of the thing and if friends and family co-worker are not comfortable options for you that's what 988 is for is for everyone so um thank you madam chair for the moment to be able to highlight that

Thank you very, very much. Anybody else? Well, be there no other business before this board, we are adjourned.